The Happy Bowl with Bragg Sauce
Often when I’m driving along Clayton Road and it’s past the noon hour, I ponder where I might stop for a satisfying lunch that’s not a sandwich or soup. I also require convenient parking. Happily, OR Juice and Smoothie checks all those boxes and more.
I’m not a vegetarian, but I can be one for an hour for the sake of lunch in this no-frills juice bar located in the strip mall alongside Schnucks Richmond Heights store. I often get the Happy Bowl composed of rice noodles, lettuce, carrots, red peppers, bean sprouts,and red onions topped with a crumble, that looks like it could be their vegetarian patty.
A Sauce Worth Bragging About
All this comes together with Bragg Sauce. Bragg Sauce is a non-GMO liquid concentrate derived from soybeans and contains 16 amino acids. It’s gluten and chemical free and has no artificial color or preservatives. I think of it as a healthy, souped-up version of La Choy. But sometimes I get a carry-out of the veggie-noodle bowl, without sauce. Then I add my prized Vietnamese fish sauce, nuoc mam, when I get home. It works for me either way.
This is, indeed, a happy meal that Mai Truong, the long-time Vietnamese owner and her kitchen crew serve up. In addition to her culinary skills, Truong is a certified nutritionist and naturopathic healer, who takes food preparation very seriously. For a drink, I usually get the Mango-Tango, a thick, healthy, and refreshing blend of mangos, bananas and oranges.
Rounding out the menu are wraps, noodle bowls, salads, sushi, spring rolls and a tantalizing selection of health-boosting drinks, lattes, teas, and coffee. There’s often a line at the noon hour, but it moves quickly.
OR Juice & Smoothie
OR Juice & Smoothie, 6654 Clayton Rd. (In shopping center west of the Richmond Hts. Schnucks. Next to Duffy’s Pub). Open: Everyday 11:30a-11p.
